Divine Setup?
The awkward situation. The cringe moment. You most certainly have experienced those occasions. They happen when you least expect them. You are enjoying a normal day when “Wham,” you are suddenly thrust into a situation that is over your head. You respond with tepid wisdom and hurried pleasantries, while crying out to God for time to pass faster.
Later at home, you think about what you should have said or done, and wished that you had been better prepared. Many of us are just like that. We live with regrets because we stumbled in a defining moment. Has that happened to you?
On the other hand, there are some people who just have a gift for being poised in the chaos. When caught in a “hair on fire” situation, they instinctively know what to do. While others are convening committees, calling lifelines, and consulting Google, these resourceful people have the right words in even the most difficult event. They think fast on their feet and avert potential disaster. Is that you?
When trouble breaks out in my life, I always seek the advice of my wife. Sue is level-headed and extremely wise. She can size up a situation and quickly determine a proper course of action. While I am still stomping around crying “why me,” she has moved on to answers, remedies, and solutions.
That was one of the marvelous qualities of Jesus. He always knew the right thing to do at the right time. He was never surprised, unprepared, or overwhelmed. He never stammered around trying to think of the right word. His response was always perfectly fitted to the situation.
Take a moment to remember some of the marvelous stories where ordinary people encountered Jesus. When these amazing narratives occurred, it was never a coincidence, it was always a “Divine-incidence.” Consider the woman at the well. For a man of God to be alone with this woman of the world, was a very awkward situation. He could have easily been misunderstood. But Jesus took the thorny moment and turned it into a major evangelistic success.
On another occasion, Jesus passed a funeral procession. The religious scholars had created layers of ceremonial laws and rituals that could have prevented Jesus from becoming involved. But in Divine wisdom, Jesus reached out to the dead and brought life! Would you have thought of doing that? Or would you have just paused with hand over heart as the procession went by?
Finally, do you remember the woman with the issue of blood? In the crush of the people, Jesus felt her feeble touch on the very hem of His garment. Rather than ignoring the unneeded interruption, He changed the course of her history by stopping and engaging her in conversation. Jesus knew just what she needed.
Those folks were not just lucky to meet Jesus....it was a Divine setup!
When the host of the marriage feast panicked over the lack of wine, Jesus calmly provided something better. While the disciples were rattled over getting enough food for the multitude, Jesus asked for help in the least likely place. When the sudden storm came up on the lake, the disciples screamed and shouted in disarray. But when they consulted Jesus, He spoke simple words that stunned the weather and astonished the disciples.
There is a powerful truth in the actions of Jesus for us to learn. Jesus is the Master of every situation. And He has solutions when we only have chaos. When we cannot see a way out, Jesus is the Way. When we cannot figure what is right or wrong, Jesus is the Truth. When we do not know if we will live or die, Jesus is our life.
So, no matter what you face, don’t panic. Invite Jesus into your awkward situation. It may indeed be a Divine setup!